He crushes his soda can one-handed, then grins around the group. “Who’s the hottest girl this summer?”
The boys start trading names, rating girls. Every word is careless, thoughtless, the kind of trash talk that sticks anyway.
I sit quiet, listening to it grind against me.
Then Max’s gaze slides to Leo. “What about your sister? Eden’s all grown up this year.”
The group stutters. The flames pop.
Leo’s expression goes lethal. He leans forward. “Say her name again, and I’ll put you in the ground.”
Max holds up his hands. “What? I didn’t mean anything. Just saying, she’s cute. Lot of guys notice.”
“She’s fifteen. You even think about trying something, it’ll be the last thing you ever do.”
The silence is heavy, broken only by surf and the hiss ofembers. Max laughs weakly, but nobody’s laughing with him.
Across the flames, Leo’s stare finds mine. A flash—warning, protective.You get it, right? She’s off limits.
I give the barest nod. Hearing her name in Max’s mouth hits me like a fist to the chest.
A group of girls drifts down from the boardwalk, laughter bright as the music that sputters back to life. The whole circle perks up instantly.
Eden’s there, in the middle.
Her braid swings over one shoulder, tank top knotted at the waist, cutoffs frayed at the hem. She’s not the loudest, but somehow, she’s the one I can’t look away from.
She catches me watching, her mouth tilting. The music shifts to a song with a thumping beat. Girls sway, boys swagger, bodies edging closer under the excuse of rhythm. Eden gets pulled in by her friends, moving with that awkward grace that makes my mouth go dry, caught between the girl she is and the woman she’s becoming.
Max elbows me. “Leo’s baby sister’s not a baby anymore.” I don’t answer. Because if I open my mouth, I’ll give myself away.
The bass drops into a slower beat, meant for couples. Eden’s swaying with Cassie, but then Cassie gets pulled away by Leo, leaving Eden standing alone.
Her gaze lands on me. She doesn’t say anything, just lifts one brow in a dare. My body moves before my brain catches up. “Dance with me?”
Her mouth curves. “Sure.”
We move together on the shore, close but not close, flames painting her skin gold. She smells of coconut and smoke, and when her braid brushes my arm, every nerveending misbehaves. My hand hovers at the small of her back. She shifts closer, as if giving me permission.
Then my focus flicks past her shoulder. Leo’s dancing with Cassie, but his stare catches on me and Eden for the briefest beat. A quiet warning wrapped in nothing. He looks away just as fast, but my stomach knots.
The song fades, someone jeers about another round, and Eden slips back to her friends, cheeks pink. I stand there looking after her like an idiot, heart hammering, missing her warmth.
Eventually everyone crashes back around the flames. That’s when Max grabs an empty bottle and twirls it across the ground. “Spin the bottle. Let’s make this night memorable.”
We all lean in as the neck whips around, slowing, wobbling?—
It stops, pointing at Eden.
Howls, whistles, catcalls. Max leans forward, eyes sharp with triumph. “Looks like it’s you and me, Carverette.”
Eden stiffens, fingers knotting in her lap. She hates the nickname. I see it in the flash of her eyes, the way her shoulders tense. My chest locks. Beside me, Leo bristles, glare fixed on Max. For a beat, his eyes cut to mine. No words, just the same thought written across both our faces:how the hell do we shut this down?
Then Eden cuts in firmly. “That’s not how this game works, Max. House rules are both ends kiss. Everybody knows that.”
The circle wavers. A couple kids nod. “Yeah, we can do that rule.”
Max bristles. “Whatever. It’s still you and me, Carverette, no matter how you twist it.” He forces a laugh, tipping his chin toward the bottle. “Must be destiny.”
